A Belleville, Ont., man faces a number of weapons charges after Cobourg police seized a loaded pellet gun and cannabis following an incident on Monday evening.
According to the Cobourg Police Service, around 6:15 p.m., an officer on patrol in the area of Havelock and George streets noticed a man with an open can of beer.
Under the Liquor Licence and Control Act, police conducted a search of the individual and his belongings and located a loaded black Glock pellet gun, a balaclava and a quantity of illicit cannabis.
Police also determined the man was bound by a court order prohibiting him from possessing weapons.
Nicholas Baumhour, 19, of Belleville was arrested and charged with two counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition contrary to a prohibition order, one count each of possession of a weapon for a dangerous person, possession of illicit cannabis and having liquor in an open container in an unauthorized place.
He was held in custody and is scheduled to appear in court in Cobourg on Tuesday, police said.
Police noted the incident was the third one in the last month involving a replica firearm.
“When officers respond to a firearm or weapons call, responding officers treat them as real weapons,” police stated. “There is no way to tell if a firearm is authentic or a replica until an investigation is conducted. Replica firearms, pellet guns, ‘air-soft’ or toy guns used to commit an offence are considered firearms under the Criminal Code. Anyone, of any age, using replica firearms can be subject to serious criminal charges.”